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Theo Weale

Sports Reporter
THE Rugby Africa Gold Cup between the Sables and the Simbas of Kenya set for Saturday at Hartsfield Ground will aid development of the game in the region.

Theo Weale, local organising committee chairman for Saturday’s match, said school-going rugby players can draw inspiration from watching the high profile encounter.

Saturday’s encounter marks the return of international rugby to Bulawayo after a six-year hiatus, as all international games were being held in Harare.

Hartsfield last played host to an international game in July 2011 when Zimbabwe beat Uganda 49-21 in a Victoria Cup game. With gate charges for the match set at $2 for adults and $1 for children, the encounter is likely to attract a capacity crowd.

“We’ve decided against going for money and instead make the game affordable to all rugby enthusiasts so that we have a big turnout. The gate charges are cheap and kids in uniform will enter for free. We believe that if school children watch their local heroes in action, they may draw inspiration and take up the sport seriously, especially at grassroot level,” said Weale.

The Sables and the Simbas are expected to arrive in Bulawayo this afternoon.

Weale said the two sets of players will hold training sessions at Bulawayo schools tomorrow.

Backed by a possibly thunderous crowd at Hartsfield on Saturday, the Sables will be hoping to recover from last weekend’s 26-31 loss to Namibia in Windhoek.

The East Africans remain unbeaten in the competition and come to Bulawayo buoyed by a 45-25 home win against Senegal.

Zimbabwe are fourth on the table, with seven points from two games, while their opponents Kenya are second with 13 points from three matches.

Last year, Kenya drubbed Zimbabwe 61-15 at the Police Grounds in Harare in a disastrous campaign for the Sables in which they finished bottom of the table without a win.

@ZililoR